Jack



Feb. 20, 1934.

Q. G. NoBLlTT Er AL 1,948,446

JACK

Filed Jan. 25, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l 4I I' I4 Z0 50 4i 27 E g, 2, Z7 I'.1. #27

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Filed Jan. 26. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 20, 1934 NiTED STATESJACK Quintin G. Noblitt and Earl C. Booth, Indianapolis, Ind., assignorsto Noblitt-Sparlis Industries, Inc., of Indiana Columbus, Ind., acorporation Application January 26, 1932. Serial No. 589,005

12 Claims.

Gur invention is concerned with jacks, and particularly with screw jacksof the type in which the screw is held against vertical movement andserves as it rotates to raise or lower a lifting member.

It is the primary object of our invention to pron duce a jack whichlends itself to sheet-metal construction. A further object of ourinvention is to produce a jack which may be simply and economicallymanufactured and which will prove sturdy, diuable, and efcient in use.

The accompanying drawings illustrate our invention: Fig. 1 is a verticalsection through a jack on the line 1-1 of Fig. 3; Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of the jack with a part of the hollow standard broken away;Figs. 3 and 4 are horizontal sections respectively on the lines 3 3 and4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a fragmental side elevation of the jack with apart of the standard broken away; Fig. 6 is a fragmental rear elevationof the jack with parts thereof broken away and illustrated in section;Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but showing a modied construction;Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating details of the lifting memberand parts associated therewith; and Fig. 9 is a horizontal section onthe line 9-9 of Fig. '7.

As is clear from Figs. 1 to 3, the jack embodies a housing comprising abase 12 and an upwardly extending hollow standard formed of twosheetmetal stampings 13 and 14. Each of the stampings 13 and 14 has atits lower end an outwardly directed flange adapted to rest upon the base12 and to be secured thereto as by riveting or weldn ing. The stampings13 and 14 are so shaped that the upper part of the standard which theyform is generally cylindrical, while the lower part of such standard isconical, flaring outwardly to the point where it meets the base 12. Inaddi tion, the stampings 13 and 14 are formed at one side and near thelower ends with alined grooves of semicircular cross-section which, inthe assembled housing, provide a bearing for a pinion 15.

Within the standard formed by the stampings 13 and 14, a hollow liftingmember 16 is vertically slidable. The upper end of the member 16projects upwardly beyond the standard, and is there flared outwardly andprovided with grooves in its upper surface to facilitate its engagement`with the object which is to be lifted.

For the purpose of moving the lifting member 16 vertically, there issecured to its lower end a nut 13 provided with internal screw threadsadapted to co-operate with a screw 19 which extends vertically withinthe lifting member 16;

19 and gear 20 is provided in its lower face with 6 0 an axial recessadapted to receive a convex boss on the upper face of a thrust-bearingmember 21 that is secured in the base 12 of the jack.

Lilie the base 12 and the stampings 13 and 14,

the lifting member 16 is preferably formed of 65' sheet-metal. Thelongitudinal edges of the sheet-metal forming the lifting member 16 arebent radially outward and disposed in abutting relation to form a fiance22 which is received in a vertically extending groove in the standard,as is clear from Fig. 3. By this arrangement, the lifting member 16 isprevented from rotating; and by operating the pinion 15 to rotate thegear 20 in one direction or the other, the lifting meinber 1d maytherefore be raised or lowered.

For the purpose of securing the two stampings 13 and i4 together theirlongitudinal edges are out-turned to provide abutting flanges. Theseflanges on one of the stampings, here shown as the stamping 13, arewider than the flanges on the other member and are folded thereover, asis clear from lig. 3, to hold the two stampings together.

Preferably, the lifting member 16 is provided with a lifting surface inaddition to that provided in its upper end. For this purpose, theflanges 22 on the lifting member, at a point intermediate its length,extend radially outward to form a step 25. To provide for the projectionof the step 25 beyond the limits of the jack-standard, the flanges atthe longitudinal edges ofthe stampings 13 and 90 14 on the front of thehousing are cut away to leave a slot 26 in which the step 25 slides asthe lifting member 16 is raised and lowered.

Preferably, the lifting member 16 does not bear throughout its entirelength against the inner standard by reducing the diameter of thestandard at its top to form a neck 27 within which the lifting member 16has a sliding fit. To prevent eX- cessive lateral pressures on the screw19 when the lifting member 16 is elevated, the nut 18 may be providedwith a ange 28 of such a diameter as to 110 have a sliding t within thecylindrical portion of the hollow standard.

For the purpose of preventing separation of the two stampings 13 and 14at their upper ends, we provide a collar 30 which closely surrounds theneck 27 of the standard and is secured in place thereon as by welding orby having a force fit on such neck. This collar 30 is notcircumferentially continuous, but is interrupted at the slot 26, as isclear from Fig. 4, to provide for upward movement of the step 25 beyondit.

It will be apparent that when the lifting member 16 is raised to a pointsuch that the nut 18 will be above the lower end of the slot 26 thatslot will be uncovered and will provide a passage through which dirt orforeign matter could enter the interior of the housing. In the drawings,I have shown two different means for preventing the entrance of dirt orforeign matter in such circumstances.

In the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, this meanstakes the form of a sheetmetal shield 32 which partially, but notentirely, surrounds the lifting member 16. At the front of the jack,this shield is formed to provide a trough 33 which receives-the flanges22 on the lifting member 16, as is clear from Figs. 2 and 3. At theupper end of the shield 32, there is formed on the trough 33 anoutwardly projecting abutment 34 which is adapted to engage the bottomof the slot 26 and thereby to limit downward movement of the shield inthe standard.

In order to accommodate the shield 32 between the lifting member and theinterior wall of the hollow standard, the stampings 13 and 14 are shapedto provide for the inner surface of the standards portions havingdifferent radii of curvature. Near the back of the standard, as is clearfrom Fig. 3, the radius of curvature of the inner face of the standardis substantially equal to the radius of the flange 26 on the nut 18; butat the sides and front of the standard this radius is greater in orderto permit the presence of the shield 32.

At the lower end of the lifting member 16, there is provided on one orboth of the flanges 22 a forwardly extending projection 36 which isadapted to engage an in-turned lip 35 at the upper end of the shield 32as the lifting member 16 moves upwardly. This is best understood fromthe showing of Fig. 1.

With the jack fully collapsed, as illustrated in the drawings, theshield 32 hangs down within the lower portion of the vertical standard,the abutment 34 resting on the bottom of the slot 26. As the gear 20 isrotated by operation of the pinion 15 to raise the lifting member 16,the shield 32 will remain in the position illustrated until upwardmovement of the lifting member 16 has progressed to such an extent thatthe projection 36 engages the lip 35 at the upper end of the shield.Upon continued upward movement of the lifting member 16, the shield 32moves upwardly by reason of the engagement between the projection 36 andthe lip 35 and prevents the slot 26 from becoming uncovered.

A slightly different means for preventing uncovering of the slot 26 isillustrated in Fiss. "1, 8, and 9. Here, the stampings 13 and 14 areformed so that the hollow standard is of substantially uniformdimensions along different diameters, as is clear from Fig. 9. At thelower end of the lifting member 16 there is mounted a member 40 ofT-shaped cross-section, and disposed at the front edges of the flanges22 is a shield 41 formed of sheet-metal of channel cross-section, theedges of the ychannel flanges being bent inwardly of the shield toengage behind the anges of the member 40. The shield 41 is formed at itsupper end to provide an out-turned abutment 34 and an nturned lip 35analogous in shape and purpose to the correspondingly numbered parts ofthe shield 32.

The shield 41 functions in substantially the same way as does the shield32. When the lower end of the lifting member 16 remains below the bottomof the slot 26, the shield 41 occupies the position illustrated in Fig.7, hanging from the abutment 34. Upon extended upward movement of thelifting member 16, however, the member 40 engages the lip 35; andthereafter, the shield 41 and the lifting member 16 move upwardlytogether, the shield 41 serving to prevent the entrance of foreignmatter through the slot 26 into the interior of the housing.

The nut 24 is preferably butt-welded to the lower end of the slidingmember 16. To eliminate the necessity for removing the flash which formsas the result of such butt-welding, the upper end of the nut 24 may becounterbored to a diameter somewhat larger than the outer diameter ofthe lifting member 16, so that when the lifting member 16 is in place insuch counterbore an annular space is provided around it. The flashformed during the butt-welding occupies this annular space, and need notbe removed.

Proper meshing relation of the pinion 15 and gear 20 is convenientlysecured by provisions in the housing. To this end, the base 12 may beformed beneath the pinion 15 with an upwardly projecting boss 45 theupper surface is at such a height as to engage the lower face of thegear 20 and prevent it from receding downwardly from engagement with thepinion 15. To limit upward movement of the gear 20 in the housing, the'i stampings 13 and 14 are provided with internally projectingindentations 46 which, as is clear from Fig. 6, overlie the top of thegear 20. The boss 45 and the indentations 46, therefore, serve tomaintain the pinion 15 and gear 20 in proper meshing relation.

We claim as our invention:-

1. A screw jack, comprising a housing having a base and hollow verticalstandard both formed of sheet-metal, a screw disposed vertically withinsaid standard, a thrust-bearing acting between said screw and said base,a lifting member vertically slidable in said housing and havingscrewthreads co-operating with those of said screw, a

gear mounted on the lower end of said screw for j i rotation therewith,and a pinion mounted in said housing above and in position to mesh withsaid gear, said base and standard being provided with indentationsextending inwardiy of said housing and positioned to engage oppositefaces of said gear to maintain it in proper meshing relation with saidpinion.

2. A screw jack, comprising a housing having a base and hollow verticalstandard, a screw disposed vertically within said standard, a thrustfbearing acting between said screw and said base, a lifting membervertically slidable in said housing and having screw-threadsco-opcrating with those of said screw, a gear mounted on the lower endof said screw for rotation therewith, and a pinion mounted in saidhousing above and in position to mesh with said gear, said base beingformed of sheet-metal and provided with an upwardly extendingindentation located under said pinion in position to engage the lowerface of said gear beneath the point of its engagement with said pinionin order to prevent its separation from said pinion.

3. A screw jack, comprising a housing having a base and a hollowvertical standard, a screw disposed vertically within said standard, athrustbearing acting between said screw and said base, a lifting membervertically slidable in said housing and having screw-threadsco-operating with those of said screw, a gear mounted on the lower endof said screw for rotation therewith, and a pinion mounted in saidhousing above and in position tomesh with said gear, said base beingprovided on its upper face with a boss located under said pinion inposition to engage the lower face of said gear beneath the point of itsengagement with said pinion in order to prevent its separation from saidpinion.

4. A jack, comprising a housing having a hollow vertical standard, alifting member slidable within said housing, means for moving saidlifting member, said standard having a longitudinal slot in its wall andsaid lifting member being provided with a lifting step projectingoutwardly through said slot, and a shield adapted to cover said slot,said shield being slidably mounted in said housing and having alost-motion connection with said lifting member.

5. A jack, comprising a housing having a hollow vertical standard, alifting member slidable within said housing, means for moving saidlifting member, said standard having a longitudinal slot in its wall,said slot extending downwardly from the upper end of said standard to apoint intermediate the length of the standard, said lifting memberhaving a longitudinal flange disposed in said slot, said lifting memberhaving also a step located in the plane of said flange and projectingoutwardly through said slot, and a shield adapted to cover said slot,said shield and lifting member having co-operating provisions causingthe shield to move upwardly to close said slot when the lifting membermoves upwardly to or above a point where the lower end of said flange isabove the lower end of said slot.

6. A jack, comprising a housing having a hollow vertical standard, alifting member slidable within said housing, means for effectinglongitudinal adjustment of said lifting member, said standard beingformed of two generally similar sheet-metal stampings the longitudinaledges of which are out-bent to form abutting flanges, one flange of eachpair of abutting flanges being wider than its associated flange andbeing folded thereover to secure the two stampings together, theadjacent edges of said two stampings at one side of said standard beingcut away to provide a'slot extending downwardly from the upper end ofthe standard, a reinforcing member partially surrounding said standardnear the upper end thereof, and a step on said lifting member extendingoutwardly through said slot.

7. A jack, comprising a housing having a hollow vertical standard, alifting member slidable within said housing, means for effectinglongitudinal adjustment of said lifting member,

said standard being formed of two generally similar sheet-metalstampings the longitudinal edges of which are out-bent to form abuttingfianges, one flange of each pair of abutting flanges being wider thanits associated flange and being folded thereover to secure the twostampings together, the adjacent edges of said two stampings at one sideof said standard being cut away to provide a slot extending downwardlyfrom the upper end of the standard, and a step on said lifting memberextending outwardly through said slot.

8. A screw jack, comprising a housing having a base and a hollowvertical standard, a screw disposed vertically within said standard, alifting member vertically slidable in said housing, said lifting memberbeing formed of a piece of sheet-metal bent into tubular cross-section,at least one of the longitudinal edges of said lifting member beingout-bent to provide a longitudinal flange, said standard being providedwith an inwardly opening longitudinal groove in which said flange isreceived, and a nut secured to said lifting member and co-operating withsaid screw.

9. A jack as set forth in claim 8 with the addition that said standardis provided with a slot in the plane of said groove, a portion of theflange on said lifting member extending outwardly through said slot toform a step.

10. A jack, comprising a housing having a hollow vertical standard, alifting member slidable within said housing, means for moving saidlifting member, said standard having a longitudinal slot in its wall,said lifting member being 110 formed of sheet-metal bent into tubularcrosssection, a portion of one of the longitudinal edges of saidsheet-metal forming said lifting member being bent to extend radiallyoutward through said slot and form a step.

11. A screw jack, comprising a housing having a base and a hollowvertical standard, a screw disposed vertically within said standard, alifting member vertically slidablein said housing and havingscrew-threads co-operating with 120 those of said screw, a gear mountedon the lower end of said screw for rotation therewith, and a pinionmounted in said housing above and in position to mesh with said gear,said screw being provided in its lower end with an axial recess, 125said base having a centrally disposed convex upward projection adaptedto be received in such recess and to form with the wall thereof a thrustbearing, said base also being provided with an upwardly extending bosslocated under 130 said pinion in position to engage the lower face 0fsaid gear beneath its point of engagement with said pinion in order toprevent its separation from said pinion.

12. A screw jack as set forth in claim 13 with 135 the addition thatsaid base is of sheet-metal, said boss being formed by an indentation insaid base, and said projection being formed by a separate member securedto said base.

QUINT'IN G. NOBLITT.

EARL C. BOOTH.

CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION.

yPatent No. 1,948,446.

QUINTIN G. NouLlTT, ET AL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3,line 1 of claim 12, for the numeral "13" read 1l; and that the saidLetters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the samemay conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signedand sealed this 20th day of March, A. D. 1934.

F. M. Hopkins (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

February 20, 1934.

